2015 NCAA Men's Long Jump Preview
2015 NCAA Men's Long Jump Preview
Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas (PB 8.39m)
Last Year: 1st Indoors, N/A Outdoors
The Razorback sophomore jumped the #5 NCAA indoor all-time mark of 8.39m in 2014, outdistancing second place finisher Corey Crawford by more than a foot. That jump made him the world leader indoors, but remarkably Lawson failed to qualify for NCAA outdoors. The champ made up for his miscues by finishing second at USAs, leaping to an outdoor PB of 8.13m.
Marquis Dendy, Florida (PB 8.28m)
Last Year: 16th Indoors, 1st Outdoors
Dendy did not perform up to expectations at NCAA indoors, but boy did he make up for it outdoors. The Gator swept the long jump and triple jump in Eugene, the first person to accomplish that feat since 2002. Dendy has now won LJ titles indoor and outdoor, as he was the indoor champion in 2013. Fresh off his historic double outdoors, the senior will look to regain the indoor title he squandered last season.
Corey Crawford, Rutgers (PB 8.22m)
Last Year: 2nd Indoors, 7th Outdoors
Crawford had a breakout year in 2014, leaping to a new PB of 8.22m and finishing second indoors. That performance was a huge surprise considering that the Rutgers junior had never qualified for the NCAA championships before last year. Crawford was not as successful outdoors, but he still managed to earn his second All-American honor by placing seventh in Eugene. His second and seventh place finishes made him the top combined performer at the NCAA championships in 2014.
Roelf Pienaar, Arkansas St. (PB 7.87m)
Last Year: 3rd Indoors, 9th Outdoors
The freshman recorded an impressive finish in his first NCAA championship, placing 3rd indoors. The
South Africa native was not quite as successful outdoors, but placing ninth is still very solid for a frosh. With a year of experience under his belt, look for Pienaar to jump further and finish higher in 2015.
Laderrick Ward, SIU-Edwardsville (PB 8.00m)
Last Year: 6th Indoors, 4th Outdoors
Ward was one of the most consistent jumpers in the NCAA in 2014, finishing sixth indoors and fourth outdoors. Ward joined the 8.00m club in April, breaking his own school record in the process. While he was unable to repeat that jump at NCAAs, that mark was the same distance that Dendy won the title with, proving that the senior-to-be has the ability to win a title in 2015.
Jarvis Gotch, La Tech (8.09 PB)
Last Year: N/A Indoors, 22nd Outdoors
The JUCO transfer did not quite perform up to expectations in his first season at Louisiana Tech, but Gotch has a 8.09m PB that cannot be ignored. The junior jumped 7.93m in 2014, but couldn’t find his rhythm in Eugene and slumped to a 22nd place finish. Gotch is much better than that performance suggests, and he could finish top 3 on the right day. With a year of experience at the NCAA level, expect Gotch to take that next step.